Q: I
know it's important to sell, but I'm no good at it, and I
can't afford to hire a salesperson right now. How can I develop
the "tough skin" that I need to be a successful
salesperson for my own company?

A:
Welcome to the wonderful world of running your own business!
You're in the same situation most small-business owners find
themselves in. The great news is that you don't need armor for
skin to make your business a tremendous success--all you need is to
break a few stereotypes that have been established over the past
several hundred years or so!

There are a number of potentially dangerous misconceptions that
surround the sales profession. There are always people who are
"down in the mouth," complaining that business is down,
constantly making excuses as to why. If you believe these cynics,
you can sabotage your own business. An attitude of self-pity can be
contagious, so get things straight in your own mind first.
Let's address the most damaging myths associated with sales and
how you can overcome them. Before long, you'll actually have
fun whenever you engage in selling activities.

Myth #1: Only Someone Who
Talks a Good Game Can Sell
In reality, fast talkers don't really do very well in the world
of sales. They have a bad reputation because their prospects can
sense the pressure, the insincerity and the lack of concern and
compassion. A good listener will outsell a fast talker any day of
the week. When you don't listen, you don't learn about the
individuals, the companies and their priorities. You won't be
able to address their needs, hence your chances of making the sale
are greatly diminished.

Myth #2: Sales Is a Numbers
Game
Actually, sales is a numbers game--the harder you work, the
more money you make! Lots of sales managers are obsessed with
numbers: how many cold calls on the phone, how many in person, how
many appointments, how many sales. I've even seen tons of forms
that salespeople have to fill out and hand in at the end of the
day. That's how the sales manager monitors the salespeople.
Does this sound like elementary school homework or what? Sales work
is about people, not numbers. It's a lot more like brain
surgery than bingo. It's about research, information and
relationships. No, sales is not a numbers game.

Myth #3: To Succeed in Sales,
You Must Have Thick Skin
Yes, we all have to (graciously) call on internal reservoirs of
strength to deal with inevitable setbacks. But that's not the
same thing as developing an outer persona that is offensively
aggressive.

In the name of thick skin, a lot of salespeople have adopted a
persona that is, in a word, insufferable. Their attitude seems to
be, "I succeed, you fail, see you around!" Professional
sales result in win-win situations.

Myth #4: Sales Has Its
Unavoidable Ups and Downs
Sales only becomes a roller coaster ride if you let the
process drive you instead of the other way around. It
only has ups and downs if you don't have goals. Almost every
industry is vulnerable to seasonal shifts. Like most other
inconveniences, these shifts can be avoided with proper
planning.

No matter what you hear anyone else say, there really is no
"bad" season. There is always opportunity for salespeople
who are committed enough to find it. Picture this scenario: While
your competitors moan about everyone being on vacation in July, you
target people who are less likely to be away on holiday--and you
get through to them more easily, because there are fewer
gatekeepers to contend with!

Myth #5: You Have to Be Good
at Handling Rejection to Be in Sales
Out of the millions of sales professionals in the United States,
I'll warrant that every one of them has heard "no
thanks" much more often than the average individual. If they
took it to mean that they themselves were somehow inferior,
we'd probably need special psychiatric hospitals just for
salespeople with bruised egos.

Rejection is a bad thing only if you make a conscious choice not
to learn anything from the situation. Otherwise, rejection is an
opportunity for growth!

Myth #6: Sales Is a Dead-End
Career With Little Promotional Opportunity
Did you know that 85 percent of the company leaders and
entrepreneurs in America today were once salespeople? They carried
sample cases, made cold calls, dialed for dollars, did product
demonstrations and handled objections. Today, they're the
majority of corporate presidents, CEOs and the like. Sales is a
dead-end job, all right--especially when you consider that the end
may be at the very top of an organization.

The opinions expressed in this column are those
of the author, not of Entrepreneur.com. All answers are intended to
be general in nature, without regard to specific geographical areas
or circumstances, and should only be relied upon after consulting
an appropriate expert, such as an attorney or
accountant.

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